


Archimedes' Screwed

by Riptor25



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-12-31 23:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18323807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riptor25/pseuds/Riptor25
Summary: A disciple of Osiris leaves Mercury after learning of the Drifter. Seeing similarities between Osiris and this mysterious new person, Archimedes decides to jump on the Drifter Bandwagon early. Drifter is not amused.





	Archimedes' Screwed

Drifter audibly groaned as he saw the approaching Warlock; the man's ash and mustard yellow robes billowing out behind him, head covered in a hood though his helmet was off, revealing shimmering periwinkle skin and yellow eyes under it. Drifter casually placed his hand on the butt of his hand cannon as the man drew nearer. 

One could never be too careful, even in his new home in the Tower annex. He'd had to deal with Praxic gumshoes and Dredgen wannabees a lot more recently these days, but this was no Dredgen. No, this was something much worse.

"Greetings, vaunted Drifter!" The man said in an enthusiastic and airy voice that dripped with genuine admiration.

Drifter rolled his eyes eyes, and flipped his jade coin more out of habit than anything else. Putting on a toothy grin as he caught and pocketed the coin, he greeted the Warlock, "You itchin' for a fight, brother? I got some real nasty ones in Gambit today, and bounties to match."

"Oh no, Drifter, I regret to say nothing like that brings me here today." The man replied, humbly. Drifter hated that.

He already knew the Awoken Warlock never came to talk Gambit even though he stopped in every day, but figured the least he could do was make the Warlock feel a bit guilty. It had been awkward like this for weeks now. When he first noticed the man eyeing him, peeking around corners and casually following him throughout the Tower, he'd pegged the Warlock as the Vanguard's worst spy. The garish mustard yellow splashed on his robes didn't help him blend in, and he was too obvious about ducking and hiding whenever he noticed Drifter staring back at him. It was just plain pathetic.

But no, the real annoyance came several days afterwards, when he cornered the guy, catching him snooping and tailing as Drifter tactically maneuvered into an abandoned alleyway before whirling around and pinning the Warlock to the wall, his hand cannon pressed up under the man's chin.  
***  
"Brother, whoever hired you to tail me must have been either too stupid or too cheap to hire a real spy." He had growled, leering at the pinned and sputtering warlock.

"N-no! You misunderstand! I am but a humble observer. A disciple of the great Osiris, but... I am intrigued by your work as well."

""What're you sayin'?" Drifter asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

The warlock gulped, "I mean to say, I believe you to be someone of burgening importance; an Osiris of the modern age!"

Drifter had known Osiris for much longer than he'd liked to admit; a cocksure arrogant Guardian with a mouthy Ghost to match. They'd never seen eye to eye, but Drifter did give credit where credit was due; the man really knew how to stick it to the Vanguard. He'd gotten under their skin so bad that they exiled him for his "heretical teachings". You had to admire that level of peevishness.

"What's your name, brother?" 

"A-Archimedes" the Awoken said, stumbling over himself to say it.

"Now you listen here, Archie," Drifter had said, letting his pressure with the hand cannon ease, but not taking it away from under the Warlock's chin, "I don't need to have you constantly skulking around behind my back, you get me? I got plenty of people who'd love to put two rounds each through me and my ghost, and I dont need to have you distracting me. You got something you wanna say to me, you come up and you talk to me brother to brother. I ain't a whole lot like your great and haughty Osiris."  
***  
Drifter's mind was brought back to the here and now. Archimedes had been blithering, and he'd missed most of it. 

"What's your name again?" He interjected, full-well knowing it, but wanting to put on airs of distance between them. The poor sap probably just saw it as a test of resolve.

For his part, the Awoken did not seem perturbed, "I am Archimedes, a humble chronicler and seeker of wisdom."

"And what, you looking to me for wisdom? Well here's some for ya, Archie; words are cheap, but my time ain't. So unless you've got some job to pitch, or you're hiding motes in those robes of yours, you best be on your way."

Drifter leaned back against one of the concrete pillars in the annex, folding his arms with a sense of smug finality. But instead of cowering or scurrying off, Archie had pulled out a datapad, and had begun typing furiously on it.

For a few silent moments Drifter fought his own curiosity before finally succumbing. Unable to stifle the urge to take a peek, he pushed off from the pillar and ambled over.

"What're you writing down anyway?" He asked guardedly, snatching the datapad from the surprised Guardian. His eyes widened at what he read.

_"I stand in the presence of the Drifter, at the feet of a new teacher who may one day rival the great Osiris. And while I have never personally met Osiris, I have read all of Brother Vance's dissertations and historica on him, and feel as if I know the man myself. With this foreknowledge, I can see similarities between Osiris and the one known only as Drifter. Perhaps one day I might become as Ikora Rey, sitting at the feet and learning directly from the master. Even now, as he glares at me, he gives me engrams of wisdom, telling me that 'words are cheap, but time is not'. On this I will have to ponder further through meditation."_

With a disgusted snort, Drifter tossed the datapad back at Archimedes, who fumbled and then caught it in both hands. "Hell, brother, you can't just latch onto some random stranger. Shows no sense of self-preservation, it's downright creepy, and most importantly, it's me you're tryin' to latch onto, ya little parasite. I got a business to run here. And I can't be doin' that while--" he cut himself off, an idea beginning to form in his head.

"How many days you been followin' me now, brother?"

Archimedes had begun to type madly in his little datapad again, but stopped and looked up, "Since your first week in the tower, though we did not interact until a little over a month ago. Word of your arrival traveled fast, even to the Watchtower on Mercury. I knew then that I had to investi--"

Drifter cut him off, "Only needed the condensed version. But say, I got a proposition for ya, Archie. I'll keep letting you tag along, and take notes in your creepy little pad, and in exchange, you keep watch over Ol' Drifter and his stuff. Let me know if you see anyone tampering with anything or snoopin' around my digs. I got a lot of enemies, you know. Much like your pal Osiris. It'd be a terrible waste if I got the boot from the Vanguard like he did."

Archimedes nodded enthusiastically. _Good._ Drifter thought. He called up his ghost and had it transmat something small which he caught in his hand. "Here, as a token of our business arrangement." He said, tossing a green coin much like his, but with a chain running through it as a makeshift pendant. The Warlock caught it and admired it closely before putting it over his head reverently.

"You keep that on ya to let people know who you stand with. Lotta Guardians gonna be wearin' those in the comin' days."

He smiled to himself. Nothing like having a Guardian as an early warning system for those stiffs in the Praxic Order sticking their noses where they don't belong. Sidling back over to his simple chair, Drifter took a seat and propped his legs up on the table. "Now, if you're gonna be rolling with me, you gotta earn your keep. I got a bunch of little tapes here I'd like you to distribute. How familiar are you with the EDZ?"


End file.
